Shoe-fastening



(No Model.).

J. DICKSON, Jr.

SHOE FASTENING.

No. 460,743. Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

I games D 10x30 (H.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES DICKSON, JR, OF \VATSONTOXVN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHOE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,743, dated October6,1891. Application filed March 20,1891. Serial No. 385.772. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

l;3e it known that I, JAMES DICKSON, Jr., a citizen of the Unitedstates, residing at at- -sontown, in the county of Northumberlandconvenient means adapted to be applied to the ordinary lace-shoe, and soconstructed and arranged as to obviate the usual perforations for thereception of the lace, and to obviate the necessity of knotting or tyingthe laces and of lacing and unlacing the shoe when applied or removedfrom the foot.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in thefollowing description,

andthe novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in theclaim.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a shoe providedwith a fastening means constructed in accordance with plication.

my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail of the tap. Figs. 3 and at are'detailsin elevation of the preferred form of eyelet before and after ap- Fig. 5is a horizontal section through the top of the shoe.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

1 designates the shoe -upper, having the usual opening 2 at its front,and the opposite edges of said opening are provided with a series ofeyelets 3 projecting therefrom, so that said edges remain imperforatewith the exception of the slight perforations formed bythe shanks. ofthe eyelets, as will hereinafter appear. I The eyelets at one side ofthe opening alternate with those at the opposite side, and a series ofsaid eyelets are located at the opposite sides and near the upper end ortop edge of the shoe, as shown at3. The form of eyelets preferred, andas illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, are formed of short blanks of wire bentat their centers to form the eye 4, after which the two terminals aregiven a half-twist, as at 5, and oppositely disposed to form L-shapedfastening-arms 6, said arms and the eye being parallel. The eyelets thusformed are passed through openings in the leather and the arms clinchedor fastened down by suitable tools, as shown, and leaving simply the eyeprojecting from the material.

7 designates the shoe-lace, and one end of the same is passed throughthe two lower eyelets, after which the ends are connected, as at 8, thusleaving one long terminal. This terminal is provided with a tap 9 ofordinary construction, with the exception that it has extending from itsrear end a tail 10. The lace thus provided is passed alternately throughthe eyelets located at the edges of the opening 2 until the last one isreached, when the lace is passed, preferably, twice around the ankle orshoe-upper and then through a convenient eyelet of the series 3. Afterthe tap has been passed through the eyelet the tail of the same, lyingacross said eyelet, prevents the withdrawal of the tap, so that thiscompletes the operation of fastening the lace, and all knotting or tyingis avoided.

To undo the shoe or loosen the same, so that it may be removed from thefoot, the tap is grasped by the hand and drawn a short distance, so thatit maybe inserted from the opposite side and passed tail first throughthe eyelet, thus disengaging the same therefrom, and by grasping the twosides of the upper they may be separated, the lace readily passingthrough the series of eyelets.

It will be observed that the described fastener may be furnished at aVery slight cost and easily applied to the ordinary lace-shoe.

Although the herein-described lace is shown applied for use inconnection with shoes, yet it will be obvious that it can be used toadvantage in other articlessuch as, for instance, leggins, corsets, &c..

Having described my invention, what I claim isv The shoe orotherarticle, as described, having the vertical alternating lace-receivingeyelets along its opening and the additional horizontal series ofeyelets, the lace secured at the bottom of the'opening, passed throughthe said vertical alternating eyelets and through my own I have heretoaffixed my signature in any one of the horizontal series of eyelets,presence of two witnesses.

and the tubular tap 9 secured to the end of 1 1 T the lace and in thereair of its point of seour- JAMLS DIC/KSO)" 5 ance, having the engagingextension or tail Nitnesses:

10, for the purpose substantially as specified. R. IIOUSEL,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 1 JOHN S. MENGES.

